Glass sheet strip forming has previously been done by both vertical and horizontal processing. In the vertical method such as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,828,832 Drake and 3,137,556 Badger et al, a molten glass strip is pulled upwardly and then turned approximately 90.degree. over a horizontally extending roll so as to be delivered horizontally. In the horizontal method, a glass sheet strip is floated on a molten metal bath, normally tin, prior to movement upwardly out of the bath for delivery therefrom on rolls in a horizontal direction as disclosed by Chui U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,885,943 and 3,930,825 . With both the vertical and horizontal glass sheet strip forming processes, it is thus necessary for the glass sheet strip to pass over a roll in its hot condition just after forming which is a disadvantage because the roll thus engages the hot glass when it is relatively soft and thereby reduces its optical quality and mechanical strength. More specifically, the vertical process requires the glass to pass over a roll in order to turn 90.degree. for horizontal delivery as mentioned above, and the horizontal process requires the glass sheet to be bent upwardly by a roll so as to be delivered above an adjacent wall of the molten metal bath which is necessary in order to prevent the molten metal bath from spilling out adjacent the edge of the bath where the hot glass sheet strip is delivered.
In order to provide better quality glass, the horizontally float glass processing as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,081,260 Glikman et al and 4,548,636 Nomaki et al have utilized linear induction motors that exert an electromagnetic induction to the molten metal of the bath adjacent the edge thereof so that the glass sheet strip can remain horizontal adjacent the extremity of the bath without the molten metal spilling out of the bath container. In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,260 Glikman et al patent, the hot glass sheet strip is bent slightly upwardly adjacent the extremity of the bath container where inductors are located and is then supported by a device having nozzles for forming a gas cushion that delivers the hot glass sheet strip to an annealing kiln or lehr. In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,636 Nomaki et al patent, the side walls of the bath container are disclosed as being made of an electrically conductive material so as to maintain a uniform distribution of electromagnetic force applied to the molten metal bath across the width of the bath container extremity where the glass sheet strip is delivered horizontally outwardly from the bath container.